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PATENTED JAN. 19, 1904.

W. L. MoLEAN.

STEAM ENGINE FOR GURD CUTTING MACHINES.

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PATENTED JAN. 19, 1904.

W. L. MOLBAN. ,STEAM' ENGINE FOR cum) CUTTING MACHINES.

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L. MOLHAN. STEAM ENGINE FOR 0mm CUTTING MAGHINES.

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APILIOATION FILED SEPT. 2, 1902. N0 MODEL.

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inn I Witnesses UNITED STATES Patented January 19, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

STEAM-ENGINE FOR CURD-CUTTING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 749,742, dated January 19, 1904.

' Application filed September 2, 1902- Serial No. 121,773. (No model.)

To all who'm it may concern:

Be it known that I, WARREN LYMAN Mo- LEAN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Yonge Mills, county ofLeeds,Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engines for Curd-Cutting Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to small reciprocating steam-motors especially adapted for curd-cutting machines in which the cutting power is applied only in one direction, the return stroke being performed without any cutting or other useful application.

The object of my invention is to produce an engine which shall possess a number of advantages of more or less importance over those now in use, one of which is to enable the full force of the steam to be applied only upon the cutting stroke and only so much steam to be applied on the return stroke as is necessary to effect the latter, whereby the return stroke is effected without danger of knocking out the cylinder-head and without jar or concussion; another to provide for the full port-opening during the entire steam-ad mission period and a sudden and complete cut-off, whereby to economize steam and increase the general efliciency of the engine; another to provide valve mechanism which shall consume a comparatively insignificant amount of power in its operation in proportion to the total steam used by the engine, a feature which it is diflicult to accomplish with small and simple engines, and another to provide for the ready manipulation and removal of the engine bodily when it is desired to repair the same or the curd-cutter to which it is connected or to replace the engine by an other one of larger or smaller size.

To these ends my invention consists in a cylinder containing a piston, which cylinder is mounted upon transverse trunnions which rest in suitable bracket-lugs formed on the sides of the frame of the curd-cutter, and the cylinder is provided with a handle at its rear end, whereby it may be readily lifted out from or placed in the curd-cutter frame and connected to the cutting-knife.

A special feature of my invention consists in the valve mechanism, which comprises a tapered valve-spindle arranged to oscillate in a tapered recess forming the interior face of the valve-chest and between which and the spindle is interposed a tapered or conical liner which is provided with the ports through which the steam passes, and these ports are of different size for the two ends of the cylinder, such that the steam in the return-stroke end is withdrawn to a certain extent, thus preventing the employment of an excessive amount of steam for merely returning the piston to the beginning of its cutting stroke and at the same time preventing dangerous jars between the piston and cylinder-head.

Another feature of my invention consists in the means employed by me for suddenly and completely closing the steam-ports at the point of cut-off, which is eflected by means of a tumble-bob or weight fixed on an arm radially extending from the axis of the valve and caused to be raised by a dog on the piston-rod, which acts on a rack geared to the tumble-bob, until the said tumble-bob reaches its highest point, when it is over-balanced and falls suddenly to the opposite side.

My invention furthermore consists in the peculiar construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims following the description.

In the drawings accompanying thisspecification I have shown the most approved form of my improved steam-engine, and herein Figure 1 is a plan view of the engine complete as connected to a curd-cutter. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the engine by itself and on a somewhat larger scale than in Fig, 1. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical central section through the cylinder and valve-chest of the engine. Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section taken centrally through the cylinder and valve-chest that is to say, on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a plan section taken centrally through the valve-ohest-that is to say, on the line 7 7 of Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical central section through the valvechest on a still larger scale to show the different positions occupied by the valve. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the valve. Fig. 10 is a similar View of the liner surrounding the Valve. Fig. 11 is a transverse vertical section through the curd-cutter shown in Figs. 1 and 2 on the line 11 11 of Fig. 2 to illustrate the character of the mechanism which the engine is employed to drive.

The same numerals of reference denote like parts in each of the several figures of the drawings.

12 designates the cylinder of the engine, 13 the piston, and 14 the piston-rod, which passes through a stufiing-box 15 in the forward end 16 of the cylinder, and to the rear end 17 is fixed a horizontally-projecting handle 18 to en able the engine to be readily raised from its position or lowered thereinto. It will be observed that the sides of the cylinder are provided with trunnions 19, which rest ordinarily in bracket-lugs 20, fixed to the sides of the frame of the curdcutting machine. This curd-cutting machine, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 11, comprises a frame 21, consisting principally of a pair of longitudinal beams or joists 22, which extend parallel to each other for a considerable distance to one side of the curd-cutting apparatus proper to form a support for the engine, and they have fixed to their inner faces at the projecting ends the socketed bracket-lugs 20 just referred to. The frame so formed is adapted in the ordinary curd-cutting process to rest upon the upper edge of a curd-vat 23, into which thecurd falls as fast as it is cut. The uncut curd is placed in a hopper 24, whose lower side is closed by the frame of the cutting-knife. This frame consists of a troughshaped box having a pair of sides 26 directly under the sides of the hopper, a transverse board 27 joining the sides 26, a top board 28 immediately under the lower end of the hopper at the upper side of the frame, and a bottom board 29 at its lower side. As will be seen, the top board 28 extends from the rear end of the frame 25 to a point slightly over half-way across the frame and the board 29 extends an equal distance from the front end, both being of suitable dimensions to completely underlie the lower end of the hopper, and between the overlapping ends of the boards 28 and 29 is located a vertical cutting-knife 30, which, as clearly shown in Fig. 11, comprises a vertical and a horizontal series of blades, which intersect so as to form a network, and thus divides the curd into a series of small strips or rods as it passes through it. The forward side of the hopper 24 has an extension 31, which extends adjacent to the upper face of the board 29. When the frame 25 of the cutting-knife is pushed back until the crosspiece 27 abuts against the extension 31 of the hopper, the knife will be under the rear edge of the hopper and the curd will fall from the hopper into the trough-shaped space between the board 27 and knife 30 and will fill the same. Then as the cutter-frame is moved forward the knife will pass through the curd and the cut curd will fall into the vat 23, while the board 28 sustains the curd already in the hopper until the return stroke is completed.

The above description of the curd-cutting machine with which my engine is employed is merely by way of illustration of its use, because the curd-cutting machine of itself is not of my present invention.

The piston-rod 14 of the engine has, as shown, a screw-clamp 32 mounted on its end for securing the cutting-knife thereto. The piston-rod has also adjustably mounted thereon a dog 33, which is fixed thereto by any suitable means. such as a set-screw 34, so that it may be adjusted to the proper position, and this dog is arranged to act upon the valve-rod 35 by means of a pair of collars 36, which are likewise adjustably fixed to the valve-rod by means of set-screws 37.

The valve is of the oscillating type and is, as represented in Fig. 9, in the form of a conical spindle 38, and it is arranged to oscillate about an axis transverse to the axis of the cylinder 12 and over the center of the latter, being set in a tapered aperture 39 in the valvechest of the engine. Between the valvespindle 38 and the walls of the valve-chest is located a conical liner 40, which has ports 41 and 42 in its opposite sides, these being of diiferent sizes and employed for the cutting and return strokes, respectively, as will be explained. Intermediate between the ports 41 and 42 and in the same transverse plane therewith is an exhaust-port 43, which communicates with the exhaust-pipe 44, tapped into the upper side of the valve-chest. When the conical liner 40 is driven into place in the valve-chest, the ports 41 and 42 occupy positions at the sides and the port 43 atthe top, so that the ports 41 and 42 will register with the steam-passages 45 and 46, which lead to the respective ends of the cylinder.

The valve-spindle 38 is formed to take in steam at its head or larger end through a central longitudinal passage-way 47, and at the point opposite the valve-ports it has a diametrical partition 48, which separates the ports 41 and 42 at all times from each other and by oscillating the valve causes them to be alternately connected with the exhaust-port 43. The lower side of this partition 48 is connected with the central passage-way 47 by an opening 49, so that the lower side of the partition is always connected with the live steam and the upper side with the exhaust, and it will thus be seen that by oscillating the valve into the positions shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. 8 the ends of the cylinder are alternately connected with the steam and exhaust, respectively.

having a central steam-opening connecting with the lower side of said diametrical partition, a steam-pipe connection closing the head end of said valve-chest, whereby to admit steam to the central passage-way in the valvespindle, and an adjustable step-bearing for the opposite end of said valve-spindle, whereby its longitudinal position in the valve-chest is regulated, substantially as described.

2. In a steam-engine, the combination of a valve-chest having a conical inner surface and suitable passage-ways leading to each end of the cylinder at opposite sides thereof and an exhaust passage-way leading from the upper side, a conical liner having ports therein adapted to register with said passage-ways, a conical valve-spindle oscillably mounted within said liner and having its opposite faces recessed opposite said passage-ways so as to form a diametrical partition separating the opposite cylinder-ports, said valve-spindle having a central steam-opening connecting with the lower side of said diametrical partition, a steam-pipe connection closing the head end of said valve-chest, whereby to admit steam to the central passage-way in the valvespindle, and an adjustable step-bearing for the opposite end of said valve-spindle, whereby its longitudinal position in the valve-chest is regulated, the cylinder-ports in said conical liner being of difi'erent size one from the other, whereby more steam is admitted into one side of the engine than the other to permit more power to be exercised upon one stroke than the other, substantially as described.

3. In a steam-engine, the combination of a valve-chest having a conical inner surface and suitable passage-ways leading to each end of the cylinder at opposite sides thereof and an exhaust passage-way leading from the upper side, a conical liner having ports therein adapted to register with said passage-ways, a conical Valve-spindle oscillably mounted within said liner and having its opposite faces recessed opposite said passage-ways so as to form a diametrical partition separating the opposite cylinder-ports, said valve-spindle having a central steamopening connecting with the lower side of said diametrical partition, a steam-pipe connection closing the head end of said valve-chest, whereby to admit steam to the central passage-way in the valvespindle, an adjustable step-bearing for the opposite end of said valve-spindle, whereby its longitudinal position in the valve-chest is regulated, a reciprocating valve-rod connected with said spindle to oscillate the same, means actuated by the piston of the engine for reciprocating said valve-rod at each end of the stroke, and a tumble-bob mounted on said valve-spindle and adapted to cause the same to be suddenly reversed in position, substantially as described.

L. In a steam-engine, in combination, a rotary valve spindle, a tumble bob attached thereto, a segment rigid with said valve-spindle, a rack cooperating with said segment, a dog carried by the piston of said engine, and adapted to reciprocate said rack, and stops adapted to limit the longitudinal movement of said rack.

5. In a steam-engine, in combination, a r0- tatable valve-spindle, a segment carried thereby, a tumble-bob rigid with said segment, a rack having an extension, collars carried by said extension, a piston for said engine, a dog carried by said piston and adapted to move between said collars, pins carried by said rack, a fixed member lying in the path of said pins, and adapted to limit the movement of said rack.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

WARREN LYMAN McLEAN.

Witnesses:

A. A. FISHER, ALLIE CUTHBERT. 

